Jason is a customer ex chef and now food writer and has shared with us his recipe for a whole duck. His take makes for the perfect celebratory centrepiece this New Year's Eve or for any occasion really. "I have a longstanding passion for food that is both original and deeply satisfying. For me, cooking is about more than following a recipe; it is about respecting ingredients, understanding their seasonality, and allowing their natural qualities to guide creativity. Good food should be rooted in integrity and craft, balancing imagination with a deep regard for flavour and enjoyment. Writing recipes is an opportunity to share that philosophy, creating dishes that are distinctive yet approachable and designed to bring out the very best in each ingredient."
This recipe requires the duck to be prepared 12-24 hours in advance.
Ingredients:
Duck:
Whole duck - wishbone removed
For best results: use a dry-aged duck (around 2 weeks), or at a minimum a dry-aged plucked duck
Glaze for the skin:
50g Maltose
80ml hot water
20ml rice vinegar
To finish
Salt to taste
Method:
To prepare the duck, ensure the wishbone is removed (you can ask the team to do this for you).
Carefully pluck any remaining pinfeathers from the breast and wing area.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Hold the crown securely with tongs and dip it quickly into the boiling water, turning to scald the entire surface.
Remove immediately and place on a wire rack to drain and cool - this tightens the skin.
In a small saucepan heat the maltose, hot water and rice vinegar until the maltose dissolves.
Brush this warm glaze evenly over the crown, coating the skin completely.
Place the duck on the wire rack in the fridge and leave to dry overnight (12-24 hours), or until the skin feels taught and slightly leathery.
Position the oven tray in the middle of the oven and pre-heat it to 220deg C.
Place the crown breast side up on a rack in a roasting tray (add water to the tray to prevent smoking).
Roast for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 170deg C and roast for a further 15-20 minutes.
For extra crispiness, finish with 3-5 minutes at 220deg C.
Transfer to a tray to rest until the internal temp reached 54deg C for medium-rare or 57deg C for medium at the thickest part of the breast, about 15 minutes.
If the duck has not yet reached the target temperature, return to the oven briefly, taking care not to overcook.
Carve, season and serve.
Once rested, transfer the crown to a cutting board. Carve the breasts and slice into pieces and season each slice lightly with salt.
Reserve the carcass for duck stock.
Serve with plum sauce, hoisin sauce or a simple dip of sugar and Chinese black vinegar.
